The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to coupling a card to an information handling system chassis.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Some IHSs include cards such as, for example, daughter Printed Wiring Assembly (PWA) cards, that couple in a mezzanine orientation to an IHS chassis and are electrically coupled to a board such as, for example, a PWA motherboard. These cards are mounted in such a way so that they do not take up any Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) slots and they do not need PCI connections for their feature sets, but rather electrically couple to the PWA motherboard with cable connection, docking connectors, or a variety of other non-PCI connections known in the art. The coupling of these cards to the IHS chassis raises a number of issues.
Typically, these cards are coupled to the IHS chassis utilizing four posts, each post having a securing member. The card includes four coupling apertures, and each post is located in a respective coupling aperture such that the securing member engages the card and couples the card to the IHS chassis. To remove the card, the securing member on each post must be disengaged from the card so that the posts may be removed from the coupling apertures. Such a procedure requires the use of two hands and adequate room to access each securing member. Unless the securing members on all the posts are disengaged from the card and the card is removed from the posts simultaneously, the card is prone to moving relative to the posts such that it is recoupled to the IHS chassis by one or more of the securing members. Such conventional coupling apparatus and methods are time consuming to use, non-intuitive, prone to damage the card due to difficulty in removal and installation, prone to damage the board due to difficulty in removal and installation, provide inconsistent mounting heights for connecting and grounding purposes, and include many loose parts.
Furthermore, such conventional apparatus and methods are typically designed for board mounting and don't provide for mounting the card to different locations in the IHS chassis.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide for coupling a card to an IHS chassis absent the disadvantages found in the prior devices discussed above.